Well, what do you know? Looks like a certain member of The Rolling Stones is celebrating another trip around the sun. Happy birthday to the one and only Keith Richards! We here at TLP hope it’s the best one ever and we’re wishing for many, many more. We need more of those sweet jams. Those epic riffs. We want all the good stuff.
Here’s some tunes that stand out and we’re looking forward to more from the guy who knows how to keep the roll in rock and roll. Happy Birfday, Keef. You’re often imitated yet never duplicated. Keep on rockin.
Now a few words about the man of the hour and the music we have chosen. If it’s not clear to everyone yet, Mr. Richards is doing this all for the love of it. Dude has plenty of cash. Secondly, never underestimate his ability to create. The list of songs he’s credited with is insane. The list is insane! Then you add in the riffs. The iconic riffs! No one else comes close. We are talking talent of epic proportions. Good lord, thank you for Keith Richards. Woo!
The first 2 picks are songs that Keith also sings. The guy has some legit heartache in that voice. Incredible and often overlooked.
Now let’s shine a light on the guitar work. Live stuff. When the pressure is on and it doesn’t matter, because everyone is in the zone. Pound for pound, this is the best for me. The live version of Sympathy for the Devil from Get your ya-yas out, remains undefeated. You’ve got an epic riff and jaw dropping guitar work from Mick Taylor and Keith Richards. The shared solos are just beyond the beyond. Sonic goodness on a level mere mortals can only hope to aspire to. Crank. It. Up.
My favorite Richards song will always be “Dead Flowers” with Gram Parsons singing backup. I have always preferred the “Countrified” songs of the Stones as Jagger and Richards always had that bit of twang that was always more refreshing than the “Polished” pop of the Beatles. But that’s me.
That’s too wild you mentioned that! I just watched a mini documentary about Gram and Linda Ronstadt going to an afterparty at the house the stones were renting in LA. They played new songs all night. And Gram was begging Keef to let him cover a bunch of songs. Think wild horses was in there too. And I LOVE the ‘Country’ stones stuff too.